Why Are Ships Painted Red?

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  • čas přidán 5. 06. 2024
  • We've all asked ourselves the question, "Why are ships painted red?" At least why are ships always painted red under the water line and not some colour that reflects the ocean like blue or green? We all subconsciously think it. Is it to hide rust or some kind of age-old tradition that's still followed blindly today? Well, it's a very interesting story... or I think it is, so sit back and relax as I reveal exactly why ships are painted red!
    Oceanliner Designs explores the design, construction, engineering and operation of history’s greatest vessels- from Titanic to Queen Mary and from the Empress of Ireland to the Lusitania. Join maritime researcher and illustrator Michael Brady as he tells the stories behind some of history's most famous ocean liners and machines!
    #ships #red #mystery #unveiling #fascinating #paint #color #history #maritime #ocean #navy #sailing #vessel #boat #explore #travel #adventure #curiosity #knowledge #documentary #titanic #history #facts #ships
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Komentáře • 1,3K

  • @stephenlawson2546
    @stephenlawson2546 Před 5 měsíci +1295

    This is one of the most important subjects you could bring up. Being a marine machinist and serving on ships. Corrosion is a constant battle if it doesn't grow out side the hull. Grows inside the plumbing. Wrong material can rust away in hours. It is the biggest pain the ass. Thanks

    • @springbok4015
      @springbok4015 Před 5 měsíci +16

      How do you protect the plumbing and intakes? I’m guessing you have to constantly maintain all this too?

    • @mikeh2006
      @mikeh2006 Před 5 měsíci +7

      I'm guessing your on about the water that comes in through the sea chests? How do you deal with that internally. Especially since you can't see in to the pipe work to check, at least not without taking it offline and dismantling it?

    • @stephenlawson2546
      @stephenlawson2546 Před 5 měsíci

      It even goes far more than that. Growth inside the fire main plumbing. Inside the fresh water tanks @@mikeh2006 Inside voids in the hull etc etc.

    • @tatianaes3354
      @tatianaes3354 Před 5 měsíci +7

      In some infrastructure projects like big bridges electricity is used to corrode a special replaceable part that would take on itself the most of corrosion that otherwise would naturally attacked the bridge’s actual body. Maybe something like this is used on ships?

    • @caseydixon8714
      @caseydixon8714 Před 5 měsíci

      In line Anode pencils​@@springbok4015

  • @justingt2010
    @justingt2010 Před 5 měsíci +300

    "Once for dust, twice for rust" is a joke we use in the navy for painting

    • @Cloud9crown
      @Cloud9crown Před 4 měsíci +4

      Yes sir 😂

    • @Aesthetics622
      @Aesthetics622 Před 4 měsíci +5

      do you guys also put all ur hands on deck when captain comes in for a inspection

    • @Clarkem1
      @Clarkem1 Před 8 dny

      And the last part, three times over a hole

  • @smthnew861
    @smthnew861 Před 4 měsíci +376

    Just called my dad. For 50 years, he was a large ship builder. He say that there are green, gray, blue ones now. And explained everything you said here as well. This video is spot on!!!

  • @amyhamaker7803
    @amyhamaker7803 Před 5 měsíci +98

    Fascinating--I had no idea! Fun fact--my husband was a pilot, and he said that red is one of the few colors they don't usually use heavily on aircraft because it tends to weigh just a little bit more than the other colors, and every ounce of weight counts in the air.

    • @tmorganriley
      @tmorganriley Před 4 měsíci +23

      This was the reason, why, a few launches in, the Space Shuttle program switched from a thermally-reflective bright-white paint on the main fuel tank (to keep the hydrogen and LOX colder) to an unpainted orange... in practice the weight savings due to eliminating the paint were greater than the thermal evaporation losses.

    • @jstravelers4094
      @jstravelers4094 Před 4 měsíci +6

      ​@@tmorganrileyThat's exactly what I thought of.
      I heard the white paint weighed 500 pounds.

    • @wickitklown90
      @wickitklown90 Před 4 měsíci +2

      12-year Aircraft carrier builder here, I saw your comment. I didn't know this was a thing till I started in the industry. Now I can take this back to my job. Was your husband a naval man?

    • @amyhamaker7803
      @amyhamaker7803 Před 4 měsíci

      @@wickitklown90 no, but his dad was army Air Force in WW2 , and then started a crop dusting business after the war, and he flew for his dad’s business, commercially a bit, and for a long time as a private pilot.

    • @jamesgeorge4874
      @jamesgeorge4874 Před 4 měsíci +4

      "Cheap" is relative in boat world. Quality copper infused antifouling bottom paint is $100-$120 a gallon.

  • @Anubis81
    @Anubis81 Před 5 měsíci +589

    One thing I always wondered is how they got rid of ashes and dust from boiler rooms when they burned coal. And whether they had to periodically clean the insides of boilers and funnels from soot as with house chimneys. That would make a great video.

    • @484berkshire
      @484berkshire Před 5 měsíci +80

      For the boilers themselves (for old-school hand-fired ones at least), the firemen would rake/scrape out the ashes from the furnaces and dump them in piles for the trimmers to take to the ash ejectors, where they dumped them into a stream of water to be ejected over the side. Not sure what they did for the funnels/uptakes though.

    • @BoldlyBuilding
      @BoldlyBuilding Před 5 měsíci +64

      I can tell you that on Titanic and similar ships of the time they used something called ash ejectors. They were essentially pipes with a jet of water rushing through that you'd dump coal ash into via a special opening, then the ash would mix with the water and get ejected from the side of the ship. Titanic also had hoists to haul the ash to rooms called "ash places" where it was supposed to be dumped out a door into waiting barges. The latter was supposed to be used in ports instead of the ejectors due to pollution concerns. (You can see all of this equipment and related spaces in Demo 401 from THG/VDR).

    • @RubenKelevra
      @RubenKelevra Před 5 měsíci +51

      If you burn the boilers properly, then there's very little soot generated. It's like the misconception that steam trains always create a large smoke trail.
      While they actually burn very cleanly and have barely visible smoke. So if you see a smoke trail, it's just for you: The viewer.

    • @stephenlawson2546
      @stephenlawson2546 Před 5 měsíci +10

      They dumped them in the ocean. Which lead to cabalic acid in the water killing the fish.

    • @sharpright6887
      @sharpright6887 Před 5 měsíci +23

      @stephenlawson2546. Carbolic acid is weakly acidic and water soluble. Extracted from coal tar instead of coal dust. Coal tar is made through the coking process that occurs in the absence of oxygen. Coal fired steamships used air to fire their boilers.

  • @whillard2447
    @whillard2447 Před 5 měsíci +353

    I absolutely love this natural and friendly feeling you give while talking during your videos! It makes it easier to understand and sometimes funny too ! :)
    Keep going Mike, you’re making a wonderful job :D

    • @murrayvryer5994
      @murrayvryer5994 Před 5 měsíci +9

      I agree! Exceptional presentation.

    • @Renee_R343
      @Renee_R343 Před 4 měsíci +10

      @@murrayvryer5994 I especially like that he makes the effort to dress sharply for his videos. It makes his videos feel like a kind of occasion. That also shows respect for his audience, as well as the age old tradition of seafaring. Makes me feel like I'm about to board Titanic. I love it.

    • @jochemtenpas5186
      @jochemtenpas5186 Před 4 měsíci

      @@Renee_R343😅

  • @Local-Of-The-Mitten-State
    @Local-Of-The-Mitten-State Před 5 měsíci +56

    I wish I could meet Mike one day. He’s like my mentor. He’s one of the reasons I got into maritime history.

    • @mjallen1308
      @mjallen1308 Před 5 měsíci +1

      ME THREE!

    • @eroero830
      @eroero830 Před 4 měsíci +1

      Wow that's really weird he seems really not genuine to me, always gives me a chuckle when he uses the word friend in his intro.

  • @NazzaKandybar
    @NazzaKandybar Před 4 měsíci +97

    This was a very interesting video about the red we find below ships waterlines. Thank you. One small point about venetian red, it is a pigment which does not dye fabric. I believe that the British used madder initially for their red uniforms, and later when it became available in the mid 19th century, alizarin. Another antifouling paint that turns up, and may explain the choices of green on some of the ships you showed, was copper acetoarsenite or a variation of emerald green, Paris Green etc. Thar pigment contains copper and arsenic and is very effective at reducing biogrowth below the waterline. Thanks again for the great videos.

    • @kasplat5874
      @kasplat5874 Před 4 měsíci +3

      Here's one reference about madder vs. cochineal.
      "For reds, they use cochineal and madder. Hamrick says that both dyes were used to put the red in Redcoats. The British government supplied their soldiers' with uniforms that were dyed with madder because it was cheaper. Officers, who supplied their own uniforms, preferred the brighter red of cochineal for their jackets.
      Cochineal's primary customers were the fabric dyers, but the little dried bugs had value to other professions."
      The Spanish kept the secret of cochineal for a long time.

    • @cstephenson3749
      @cstephenson3749 Před 4 měsíci

      en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cochineal0

    • @cstephenson3749
      @cstephenson3749 Před 4 měsíci

      but then cochineal ended up in cosmetics, lipstick, anything that needed a red coloring. pigments in manuscripts@@kasplat5874

    • @awesomedn
      @awesomedn Před 4 měsíci

      There’s another quote from Venetian Red page on wiki, supporting the opposite:
      During the English Civil War (1642-1651), Venetian red was adopted as the primary uniform colour of the New Model Army, to ease mutual identification on the battlefield. In addition, Venetian red was cheaper than other dyes at the time. Following the war, this practice was continued by the British Army, giving its soldiers the nickname "Redcoats", during the 18th and 19th centuries.

    • @rolandthethompsongunner64
      @rolandthethompsongunner64 Před 4 měsíci +1

      Arsenic?😂

  • @TheLastPhoen1x
    @TheLastPhoen1x Před 5 měsíci +29

    So, in short, they are painted red because it makes them go faster.

    • @stormisuedonym4599
      @stormisuedonym4599 Před 5 měsíci +3

      ... Yes.

    • @bwhog
      @bwhog Před měsícem

      More particularly, the cost of the paint is more than made up for in the fuel savings and the transit times. It makes the ships more efficient and thus more economical to operate and that means you and I pay less to have goods and people ferried across the ocean.

    • @marylut6077
      @marylut6077 Před měsícem

      Never thought about this, now I will check all paintings of ships, lol

  • @jhfdhgvnbjm75
    @jhfdhgvnbjm75 Před 5 měsíci +28

    I'm surprised; I'd have thought the paint was red because it included red lead to prevent rust, not venitian red, I've learned something new :)

    • @ironhell813
      @ironhell813 Před 5 měsíci +3

      One of the real reasons is this that and it was cheap to make it from iron oxide dust and coal tar. Shippings always been about costs, something often forgotten today.

  • @Falcon7001
    @Falcon7001 Před 5 měsíci +18

    THAT'S IT!!!!!!! I have an old Entex model kit of the QE2 that has been on my "to build" stack for decades. It's sitting there because I remember seeing a large poster of the QE2 when she was first launched. Her waterline color was this beautiful medium blue. That is how I want to do my model kit. But that was the only picture I ever saw of it, the kit instructions give the red anti-fouling color. I wrote to Cunard, I searched old magazines and books, but I could never find it. Some, including a polite customer relations person even insinuated that I was "daft" and the QE2 NEVER had a blue waterline.
    But there it is. You found a picture of it! I'm not nutz! Now I just need to find out what that color is called or get a paint chip to try to mix and match it. THANK YOU! It's nice to know that I'm not totally "balmy".

    • @konlee4456
      @konlee4456 Před 3 měsíci +2

      Interesting. I used to make resin kits of anime characters 20 or so years ago but I always used expensive craft paints and made all the mixes myself especially due to the luster it gives. Working in wheel repair enlightened me a bit more about the process as well as clearcoating. Also, wheels have more flakes in the paint so it was a very learning experience. I was wondering what your process was and I'm sure you would do things differently now than you did back then.

    • @tonyromano6220
      @tonyromano6220 Před měsícem

      Build it?

  • @melissaolson2517
    @melissaolson2517 Před 5 měsíci +10

    I've been following you for years and remember when you were like a dear caught in the headlights. Your honest confidence, along with your glorious clear speech and accent, make you a real joy to listen to. Every cruise company, and especially Cunard, should hire you as a spokesperson. If it has your confident support, I would trust it implicitly.

    • @thatguywhocleansaquariums4839
      @thatguywhocleansaquariums4839 Před 3 měsíci +1

      Cunard has long since been bought out by Royal Caribbean. Cunard used to operate under its name but has since acquiesced to the pages of time.

  • @Teaboyseej
    @Teaboyseej Před 5 měsíci +12

    I never realised how interesting this stuff was. I think it is your presentation and knowledge that has roped me in.

  • @georgejohnson1498
    @georgejohnson1498 Před 5 měsíci +53

    Fred Olsen's sister ships Blenheim and Breamar, launched 1951 and '52 respectively, had green paint at the waterline.
    I wonder if you would consider doing a video on these two venerable North Sea passenger and cargo ships that each served about four decades on the Newcastle/Oslo route. I sailed on both in the 1960s and early '70s. Lovely little ships that were shipshape rather than ferry-shaped, and the cars were lowered into the hold with a crane! Like a fully formed but miniature trans-Atlantic liner!
    I really enjoy your videos!
    Best wishes from George

    • @tyler_bt3326
      @tyler_bt3326 Před 5 měsíci +4

      Some Italian battleships had green hulls below the waterline.
      Also the lower hull on HMS hood was a sort of greyish green rather than red or bright green

    • @Hailiqou
      @Hailiqou Před 5 měsíci

      SS Batory also had green paint.

    • @georgedunkelberg5004
      @georgedunkelberg5004 Před 4 měsíci +1

      Ask any Bo'sons Mate who eternally fought Naval rusts, it ai'nt cat-syrup! "If it doesn't move, PAINT IT!

  • @drew_xviii330
    @drew_xviii330 Před 4 měsíci +26

    They really took “I painted my car red, therefore it’s faster” to an entirely new level, Cunard even went a step above the rest and added a striped line, because everyone knows “racing stripes make you even faster” lol
    In all seriousness though, I adore the channel and I’m always excited to see a new video, I’ve been keeping up with the videos for awhile and I hope to see more! I’ve been a maritime nerd most of my life and I always learn just a little more by tuning in~

    • @georgedunkelberg5004
      @georgedunkelberg5004 Před 4 měsíci +1

      PUT 'YOUR' SKIN IN THE "GAME"......Join a navy and see the world.

  • @WatchmakerErik
    @WatchmakerErik Před 5 měsíci +11

    Thanks for another wonderful video!
    One thing I learned from Grady on practical engineering is that if something is merely for aesthetics it's called paint. If it serves other purposes including protection of the surface beneath it's called a coating. Looks like anti foul is a coating and boot topping is a paint.

    • @justbecauseOK
      @justbecauseOK Před 5 měsíci +4

      That is not quite correct.
      Paint is any coating that has pigment added to it, so the addition of Sienna Red makes it an "Anti-fouling Paint"

    • @WatchmakerErik
      @WatchmakerErik Před 4 měsíci +1

      Thanks for the correction, @@justbecauseOK 😁

    • @justbecauseOK
      @justbecauseOK Před 4 měsíci

      @@WatchmakerErik 👍

  • @kentslocum
    @kentslocum Před 5 měsíci +81

    I have never given any thought to this subject, but now that you mention it, all of my model ships have a dark-red hull below the waterline. Now it all makes sense! 😊

    • @ironhell813
      @ironhell813 Před 5 měsíci +2

      Not really, costs were often the real reason that ships were red and black those colours can be made with cheap iron oxide and coal tar paints to cover rust.

    • @kentslocum
      @kentslocum Před 5 měsíci +1

      @@ironhell813 That's exactly what the video said.

    • @ironhell813
      @ironhell813 Před 5 měsíci +1

      @@kentslocum you sure? I watched it and it didn’t mention coal tar….

    • @kentslocum
      @kentslocum Před 5 měsíci +3

      @@ironhell813 The video was about red paint below the waterline, not black paint above...

    • @georgedunkelberg5004
      @georgedunkelberg5004 Před 4 měsíci

      Anti fouling's colors are sales enhancements only!

  • @F-Man
    @F-Man Před 5 měsíci +27

    The Battleship New Jersey CZcams channel also recently did an episode on below waterline coatings, as part of their discussion of their upcoming drydock effort. This video is a perfect complement to that!

  • @jeanmouloude
    @jeanmouloude Před 4 měsíci +6

    that was me, i told them to paint them red

  • @WiredrawnMurder45
    @WiredrawnMurder45 Před 5 měsíci +8

    I love this channel, there's always something interesting to learn; either near-hardcore engineering specifications of past ships or simply why ships have certain flags, all taught in an easy to understand way

  • @douglasclerk2764
    @douglasclerk2764 Před 5 měsíci +9

    The term 'copper bottomed' - meaning 'sound & reliable' dates back to the copper sheathing on a wooden ship's hull.

  • @codacstarn5173
    @codacstarn5173 Před 5 měsíci +7

    So his opening, “is it just tradition!” Wasn’t wrong… just more complicated. Thank you for the clarification

  • @mrrobg61
    @mrrobg61 Před 5 měsíci +5

    Modern antifoul is designed to shed the uppermost layer of the antifoul as the hull moves through the water, preventing marine growth from forming. These coatings are called Self Polishing Coplymers (SPC). The major downfall of these coatings is that if applied to a hull that does not move for some time, then marine growth will develop.

    • @ironhell813
      @ironhell813 Před 5 měsíci

      They’re called ablative coatings because it’s ablating as it’s being worn off

    • @everythingsalright1121
      @everythingsalright1121 Před 4 měsíci +1

      Cant imagine thats healthy for the ocean

  • @heronimousbrapson863
    @heronimousbrapson863 Před 5 měsíci +12

    My grandfather, a dock worker, "acquired" some of this red anti-fouling paint and brought it home to paint his house. It didn't weather well; over the years it chipped and flaked off. It wasn't designed to be applied to wood I guess.

  • @kevinmiller7792
    @kevinmiller7792 Před 5 měsíci +15

    Mike - an informative and fascinating video - as always. Thank you and Happy New Year!

  • @Pennant51
    @Pennant51 Před 5 měsíci +107

    Excellent content as always Mike. I just want to add a sidenote that, although this “redness” may apply to commercial shipping, it doesn’t necessarily apply to warships. In our research at the HMS Hood Association for instance, we found that Hood (1920-1941) NEVER had a red bottom. It was either grey or possibly black (and still is). It was applied in layers of two protective undercoats followed by an outermost antifouling layer. The boot topping was also multilayered (glossy black outermost). Others have conducted in-depth research and found that grey and black were more common (on British warships at least) than previously assumed. Again, not really pertinent here, but thought it might interest you.

    • @nitsu2947
      @nitsu2947 Před 5 měsíci +2

      Huh, interesting, and why does that happen ? And exclusively on Royal Navy warships too ?

    • @saukenaruto1
      @saukenaruto1 Před 5 měsíci +1

      Google US Navy warship hull color and you'll be surprised

    • @nikkaplez
      @nikkaplez Před 5 měsíci

      Way to tear him apart damn

    • @ironhell813
      @ironhell813 Před 5 měsíci +6

      Red is too easy to be seen and is just a commercial tactic to hide rust on poorly maintained ships, the navy never has that issue…

    • @peterhobson3262
      @peterhobson3262 Před 5 měsíci +4

      I was a submariner in the US Navy. Our submarines were painted completely black (seawater more than 30 feet/10 meters deep is opaque), No red paint at all.

  • @nektulosnewbie
    @nektulosnewbie Před 5 měsíci +81

    I once knew a man in the defence industry who got started developing naval technology like hull paint for the RN in the late 70s and early 80s.
    He and his team took awhile, but they found the Holy Grail of hull paint. It was low in toxicity but highly effective against marine life attaching to it (Environmental concerns then were the big push for a new paint as most hull paint's anti-fouling effectiveness comes from being too toxic for marine life to tolerate, but that results in harbours becoming environmental nightmares as paint sloughs off, especially busy places like Portsmouth), cheap and it lasted a long while on a ship's hull. The only downside was the paint's colour was hot pink.
    The RN took one look at the colour and outright rejected it.

    • @irwinisidro
      @irwinisidro Před 5 měsíci +13

      Now who doesn't want a hot pink ship for the Navy? 😂

    • @saberconvoyaviation8674
      @saberconvoyaviation8674 Před 5 měsíci +13

      If this is true, that would be a big fat target for any enemy forces. While it was a good idea, the color was rejected for practical reasons for warfare. Still a funny story. XD

    • @nektulosnewbie
      @nektulosnewbie Před 5 měsíci +8

      @@saberconvoyaviation8674 it was the hull paint, the part under the water. The reason it was rejected wasn't just that it was an awful colour but because it wasn't the traditional red hull paint the RN sticks to.

    • @bearcatracing007
      @bearcatracing007 Před 5 měsíci +2

      ​@nektulosnewbie but the RN doesn't use red paint. Could they not put a black pigment in it....

    • @everythingsalright1121
      @everythingsalright1121 Před 4 měsíci +1

      Thats a shame. Im all for not poisoning the ocean any more than we have to

  • @lauravanthof3958
    @lauravanthof3958 Před měsícem +1

    I love how you look like you’re having the most fun making these videos!

  • @Quint1836
    @Quint1836 Před 5 měsíci +4

    Another great documentary Mike! Cheers from Texas!

  • @shiannaa5370
    @shiannaa5370 Před 5 měsíci +24

    My husband and I greatly enjoy your content! ❤ we have learned so much from this channel. it’s been a joy each time time a new video comes out! Keep up the wonderful work Mr. Brady! 🚢

  • @capt.bart.roberts4975
    @capt.bart.roberts4975 Před 5 měsíci +1

    I enjoy your slightly skewed take, on something you obviously love, and Because of that love. You've learnt more and taught more on the history of shipping than I know and I come from seaside village. Thanks for reminding me of this story.
    I remember being hired to paint antifouling on the trawler a friend of my brother's build in the back garden. Getting it out was, mmm, interesting and expensive. His son is the skipper of the third iteration of The Queen of Rottingdean. That's what myself and my friends called the first one.

  • @knottage
    @knottage Před 4 měsíci +1

    No idea why this landed on my recomended page, but I really enjoyed your knowledge and tonality

  • @FlymanMS
    @FlymanMS Před 5 měsíci +6

    I love the class you always have in your videos.

  • @dahveed284
    @dahveed284 Před 5 měsíci +4

    Organic biocide like Arsenic? It is a constant battle for boat and ship owners these days. My boat has a sonic system that is supposed to reduce the growth of stuff on the hull. But I still pay divers to go down and clean it. I'm getting it hauled out this month, so we will see how effective the sonic system has been.

  • @Qigate
    @Qigate Před 5 měsíci +2

    Mike, nothing more fun than when you get "sidetracked, as usual". These captivating vignettes are just as much fun as your premier histories.

  • @milnespetchristo1882
    @milnespetchristo1882 Před 5 měsíci

    Thanks again Mike. I loved the bits when you were self mocking about finding it fascinating. It's the Little things like that which make you come across as " your friend, Mike Brady" &, makes you a joy to watch and listen to. Many thanks from Oxfordshire. ( UK).

  • @jako1234567890jako
    @jako1234567890jako Před 5 měsíci +13

    Great video, Mike! Though I'm still waiting for a dedicated video about Brunel's three ships! S.S. Great Britain, S.S. Great Western and the S.S. Great Eastern. They're each super interesting ships and very important to the history of the ocean liner and ships in general!
    Maybe I'm a little biased, I get to see the S.S. Great Britain everyday!

    • @jeremypnet
      @jeremypnet Před 5 měsíci

      SS Great Britain at 5:44 I live literally next door to it.

  • @Soniti1324
    @Soniti1324 Před 5 měsíci +8

    Does Venetian Red anti-fouling paint have any relation to blaze-orange and the coloring used on the Golden Gate Bridge? (I've always thought they felt very, very similar.) Awesome video, great info, and straight to the point, with lots of nice historical context to substantiate your point. Videos like this are why I subscribed to your channel! It's nice to finally have an answer as to why anti-fouling paints always seem to be _so_ thick in consistency; because they're meant to function as a whole separate protective coating that will seal up every potential point of rust.
    Happy New Year, Oceanliner Designs!

    • @lalaithan
      @lalaithan Před 5 měsíci

      Nope, that color was just a design choice and the paint was a normal lead-based paint (the original paint is no longer there and has been replaced though).

    • @Soniti1324
      @Soniti1324 Před 5 měsíci

      Cool, thanks for the info! ^-^ Happy New Year! @@lalaithan

    • @ironhell813
      @ironhell813 Před 5 měsíci +2

      It’s not the same paint but it was coloured for the same reasons: to hide rust and to
      Make maintenance cheaper.

  • @quintthefishingwolf1716
    @quintthefishingwolf1716 Před 5 měsíci

    You're timing on this video is fantastic, was watching some of Battleship New Jersey's newer videos and they were discussing putting new antifouling on her hull and only said it was more than paint and was a complex system to keep buildup off the hull, but now I know, thanks.

  • @jeffrogers3175
    @jeffrogers3175 Před 5 měsíci +2

    Great video as usual Mike. I remember doing a dry-docking on a RO/Ro Container vessel in Ulsan years ago and the anti fouling was Self Polishing Copolymer which has originally been blue but with the motion of the ship through the water at high speed - 23 Knots - had over time polished to white and it was as smooth as a mirror with absolutely no growth on it. Of course SPC I think had huge amount of tin in it which killed everything in the water so it was banned eventually. Two years later we docked the ship in the same place, blasted everything off and painted her undersides red with environmentally friendly paint. (it wasn't as good!!)

  • @autooctavia133
    @autooctavia133 Před 5 měsíci +3

    Havent seen anyone mention this so i thought id point it out; the note at 6:29 on why the british army used red is actually a misconception. They ised that red because it was the cheapest they could buy at a time when they needed to get a lot of uniforms very quickly.

    • @lalaithan
      @lalaithan Před 5 měsíci +1

      Technically, you're both right. Having everyone the same bright color meant that you were a big blob instead of single soldiers.

  • @musoangelo
    @musoangelo Před 5 měsíci +3

    The advent of modern epoxy coatings really changed how ships weather over time. I worked on the water for 4 decades and when I first started in the 70's, a 30 year old ship really was a rust bucket. Once they started coating them with epoxy paint, they stayed nice. It was really in the late 70's and beyond that it became commonplace. As you stay in your piece, you can make it any color, but I'm glad that tradition keeps it red. A side note, the bilges are also often coated a flat red as well.

    • @ironhell813
      @ironhell813 Před 5 měsíci +2

      Before the 70s coal tar paint was the norm because it was cheap but it would ablate (fall off) a lot easier, after cheap epoxy paint showed up (it took 20 years to make it cheap) it stopped rust better so it was used

    • @musoangelo
      @musoangelo Před 5 měsíci

      @@ironhell813 I'm not sure if I'd think of it as cheap. It's been some years but I remember reading that ship coating could be as much as 10% of the cost of the ship. Also you see the outside, but the insides of all the tanks and ship interiors, stairwells etcs, it's quite a volume. I also remember being on an assist tug when removing a ship from an old graving dock and on the way out, the hull scraped on so unfendered part of the dock and though the coating was scraped, it didn't go all the way through the coating. There's also a schedule of measuring the thickness of the coating that the yard applies to make sure that meets spec. When done right, it's worth the cost.

    • @ironhell813
      @ironhell813 Před 5 měsíci +1

      @@musoangelo I think over time if the yard doesn’t strip the previous coating off it’ll build a shell of sorts making the coating tougher. Maybe another money saving solution?

  • @danielintheantipodes6741
    @danielintheantipodes6741 Před 5 měsíci +1

    Amazing story! I long ago noticed the red but never knew why! Your channel is educational as well as entertaining! Thank you for the video!

  • @sammic9256
    @sammic9256 Před 5 měsíci

    I have to say that was one of the smoothest, cleanest intro/transitions I’ve seen in a while. I’m a longtime viewer and big fan! Keep up the amazing work! ❤❤

  • @UncleJoeLITE
    @UncleJoeLITE Před 5 měsíci +3

    If you want to see it irl, it's easiest if you watch empty bulk carriers enter Newcastle etc. The freeboard is high & [dirty] red. Then she settles maybe 8m as she loads, the red freeboard almost disappears. Thanks Skipper.
    _Fun factoid: Rust is often called "tin worm", a call-back to our friend wood worm._

  • @thejudgmentalcat
    @thejudgmentalcat Před 5 měsíci +3

    We need to dip every Michigan motor vehicle in Venetian Red!...wait, arsenic? 😮
    I live in the American Rust Belt, btw. We've been looking for decent rust-proofing for ages 😂

  • @jwilliamson196
    @jwilliamson196 Před 4 měsíci +1

    Can't get enough of these videos. I just wish the content was treated with adhesives so it would stick in my head. Thanks.

  • @HiPumpkin50leslie
    @HiPumpkin50leslie Před 5 měsíci

    Oh, this was great! I enjoyed watching & learning!! Very informative & taught me about things I never knew! Thanks!

  • @sambonsampson228
    @sambonsampson228 Před 5 měsíci +3

    Submarines can be coated pink..... Operation Petticoat!

  • @stephengrimmer35
    @stephengrimmer35 Před 5 měsíci +11

    Excellent and interesting short. Copper has the additional advantage of toxicity to marine life (its used chemically in anti-fouling paints) so plating isn't just a physical barrier, it slows and reduces growth. Concrete slipways are often treated with copper sulfate.

  • @draugnaustaunikunhymnphoo6978

    the touch of a humble, "at least, I think it is" is so pure, and I love it. I wouldn't care about any of these topics if it wasn't told by a man so enthusiastic about it.

  • @reallyseriously7020
    @reallyseriously7020 Před 5 měsíci

    This is fascinating! I've always been interested in the history of ships and I love your channel.

  • @theamazingadventuresofjohn
    @theamazingadventuresofjohn Před 5 měsíci +13

    Once again Mike brings us an education and informative video, in the best format possible. Bravo mike!

    • @georgedunkelberg5004
      @georgedunkelberg5004 Před 4 měsíci +1

      Brave voters of the Eisenhour eras staid the course to our present military-industrial-complex-oligarchy.

  • @GrumpyYank26
    @GrumpyYank26 Před 5 měsíci +3

    I use Venetian red in my oil paintings. A little goes a long way. Great video!

  • @Ebbyman413
    @Ebbyman413 Před 4 měsíci +2

    I work for a company, American Chemet, that produces Cuprous Oxide (Cu2O), which is a copper oxide that when mixed with a binder produces natural anti-fouling paint for ships. Spoiler alert - it's red in color because of the copper. We also produce a low tint strength "Lolo Tint" Cuprous Oxide that is purplish in color, that takes well to being dyed other colors. That is used in everything from 'Battleship Gray' paint that the Navy uses to bright white yacht paint.

  • @stunder33
    @stunder33 Před 5 měsíci

    I knew all this beforehand. Still fascinating to me as for its origins-I grew up a Northern California native and was fascinated with the San Fransisco Golden Gate Bridge and its distinctive color. Since it was built it always used that antifouling paint scheme and sometime in the mid 80's they tried a grey color that made many photographers wail in protest-Just rambling here-Thank you Mike and thank your crew for me for bringing yet another informative slick vid.You rock brother!

  • @alban_fooz
    @alban_fooz Před 4 měsíci +4

    Awesome video, I learned so much.
    I loved each side-fact.
    Like the copper plating is what's left in some shipwrecks, or the red color used by the british for their famous redcoats.
    It reminds me of Vsauce, and how he asks a question but takes various detours to explain and teach about other stuff before answering the question.

    • @georgedunkelberg5004
      @georgedunkelberg5004 Před 4 měsíci +2

      ASK "the hows and whys of the Iron men and wooden ships' gun decks colors"? Puke! plus blood is slippery?

    • @georgedunkelberg5004
      @georgedunkelberg5004 Před 4 měsíci +2

      bucket the sands of those times so that no one slips slides away!

  • @FluidLoneknight
    @FluidLoneknight Před 5 měsíci +4

    Its not only red Italian warships in ww2 had green below waterline and with recent research and photos royal navy ships like Hood had dark grey

    • @jbepsilon
      @jbepsilon Před 5 měsíci +3

      The RN in the WWII tended to alternate between red and dark gray anti fouling paint, probably to make it easier for workers to keep track of what had been painted when they were applying a new layer.

  • @yummybearblue5808
    @yummybearblue5808 Před 5 měsíci +1

    Fantastic work! It always a joy whenever you upload a new video

  • @DaystromDataConcepts
    @DaystromDataConcepts Před 5 měsíci +3

    I've always wondered why the underside of ships were red. Now I know, thank you.

  • @Steamrunner
    @Steamrunner Před 5 měsíci +4

    If I have learned anything from a great many tropes, red makes things go faster. That's the real (and very secretive) reason why ships are painted red. 😁

  • @veerkar
    @veerkar Před 4 měsíci

    Just came across this channel. Stellar. Subscribed.

  • @dcviper985
    @dcviper985 Před 5 měsíci +1

    In the US Navy we used to say “once over dust, twice over rust”.

  • @chiefgangmusic
    @chiefgangmusic Před 4 měsíci +3

    I’m smarter now. Thank you.

  • @StephenCole1916
    @StephenCole1916 Před 5 měsíci +4

    Not an ocean liner, but HMS Hoods hull was painted grey with a black boot topping. This was only recently discovered as someone found the yard paperwork for her going back many years that the antifouling paint was grey.

    • @Pennant51
      @Pennant51 Před 5 měsíci +3

      That was me. Yes, we found her docking reports and they did indeed specify grey at various intervals. They also clarified that she only used coatings from a specific manufacturer (Peacocks and Buchan). Other researchers (real ones, not Hood-only part-timers like me) determined that said company only provided grey and black to the RN. In the end, it helped explain some things that had always bothered us: anecdotes we’d heard (and previously dismissed!) from old timers (dock hands), sinking descriptions of the bow and of course, the stern of the wreck. We had previously (wrongly) assumed it must have been “standard” red. There’s a great article about it on Sovereign Hobbies’ website I believe. We also have a link to this from the HMS Hood Association site’s paint schemes article.

  • @2LargeHounds
    @2LargeHounds Před 5 měsíci +1

    'If it moves, salute it. If it doesn't move, paint it.'

  • @christophercarson4310
    @christophercarson4310 Před 5 měsíci

    Hey Mike.. Love your videos man.. Top Quality and very enjoyable.. Cheers!!

  • @Walker_TR2
    @Walker_TR2 Před 5 měsíci +5

    Melbourne's weather might be unpredictable, but it doesn't hold a candle to Texas weather. One minute is 70° F, the next it's 50°F lol. Great and informative video as always!

    • @implodingbaby
      @implodingbaby Před 5 měsíci +2

      nah the uk got you all beat

    • @codacstarn5173
      @codacstarn5173 Před 5 měsíci +1

      Pretty sure upstate new York can give you a run for your money! Lol

    • @jac981
      @jac981 Před 5 měsíci +1

      20 degree swing....those are rookie numbers. Thats an average day in Minnesota

    • @lalaithan
      @lalaithan Před 5 měsíci

      @@implodingbaby UK is pretty predictable.

    • @kellyalvarado6533
      @kellyalvarado6533 Před 5 měsíci +2

      😂😅😊I've lived in 17 different places throughout my life and every single one of them thinks they have the most unpredictable weather. It's a strange obsession to be proud of.

  • @GeoHvl
    @GeoHvl Před 5 měsíci +4

    I was in the US Navy from 1972 till 1978. The ship I was on went into drydock for hull refit. After the shipyard had removed all the old paint, it was down to bare, shiny steel. They then painted it grey, then yellow, then blue, then back to grey, and finished it off with red.

    • @ironhell813
      @ironhell813 Před 5 měsíci

      Red hides the rust it’s that simple.

    • @neil1997
      @neil1997 Před 4 měsíci

      Tradition with a dose of superstition I'll bet

  • @warrengraham5145
    @warrengraham5145 Před 5 měsíci +1

    That shade of Red is very fitting for one of the greatest Naval powers before it was attacked and never recovered it's power since. Sweet Venice.

  • @Dax4You
    @Dax4You Před 4 měsíci

    I love getting stirred by INFO I didn't know or had not yet hazard a guess. Thank you!

  • @roysoutdoorlife
    @roysoutdoorlife Před 5 měsíci +11

    Great video as usual! There was a scientific study that showed certain anti-foul paints were causing oysters to gender swap. I can't remember the specifics but I'm sure this will encourage some further comments!

    • @blueyes6474
      @blueyes6474 Před 5 měsíci +2

      That’s so fascinating!

    • @MarioGoatse
      @MarioGoatse Před 4 měsíci

      Transoysters 🤮

    • @georgedunkelberg5004
      @georgedunkelberg5004 Před 4 měsíci +1

      @@blueyes6474'R more "t-gs" east coasters? wHose ever heard of exported from California to the us of the rest of USA's citizen-pallets of Abalone. Not bull-only?

    • @blueyes6474
      @blueyes6474 Před 4 měsíci +1

      @@georgedunkelberg5004 are you having a stroke?

    • @neil1997
      @neil1997 Před 4 měsíci

      I heard they were using this paint on humanities university campuses

  • @S.E.C-R
    @S.E.C-R Před 4 měsíci +4

    You always know how to make something that would normally be boring seem very interesting!

  • @patriotforlife6592
    @patriotforlife6592 Před 4 měsíci

    I actually learned this on my own a few years ago from a Captain's Q&A on a cruise. But I didn't know about the formulas or how older ships combated marine growth. Well done again man

  • @neilmurray6943
    @neilmurray6943 Před 5 měsíci

    Thanks for the back story! Great job as always.

  • @silversound99
    @silversound99 Před 5 měsíci +6

    Maybe someone just placed the same thought, but always thought the red color undership was meant to be the best color to stay visible when the ship Capsizes bottom up at full sea. Thanks for your explanation 👍

    • @ironhell813
      @ironhell813 Před 5 měsíci +2

      Nope it’s one of the easiest and cheapest colours to
      Make because it can be mixed from iron oxide and coal tar.

    • @saeednaser7700
      @saeednaser7700 Před 4 měsíci

      I didnt see the full video is that the only reason, if so, why not paint the entire ship?@@ironhell813

  • @aussiepie4865
    @aussiepie4865 Před 4 měsíci

    First video I’ve seen of yours and it was very interesting. I have no interest in ships but found the content very informative, I’ll definitely watch again.

  • @SaturnCanuck
    @SaturnCanuck Před 5 měsíci

    Excellent Mr Brady. This is exactly what I signed up for. And again, I have resubscribed.

  • @KPW2137
    @KPW2137 Před 5 měsíci

    Nice episode! You painted a nice picture of a piece of maritime history there :)

  • @peonypink9149
    @peonypink9149 Před 5 měsíci

    “As unpredictable as Melb’s weather” - I hear you 😉😁
    That was so interesting Mike- I have wondered this over time. Excellent video 😁

  • @Kargoneth
    @Kargoneth Před 4 měsíci

    Subscribed. I knew about a lot of this, but the presentation style is appealing.

  • @alylyn119
    @alylyn119 Před 4 měsíci

    The CZcams channel of my dreams! Since 5th grade I had an obsession with titanic and infrastructure .. engineering and always a deep love for history. I love yesterday today, architectural digest and BIM all my loves come together here. Thank you ! Awesome video.

  • @anjoLas
    @anjoLas Před 4 měsíci

    Amazing. Loved it.
    Subscribed !

  • @Shazprime
    @Shazprime Před 5 měsíci

    Wow, mike, another wonderful video. I just love your channel so much.

  • @sarahmichie4382
    @sarahmichie4382 Před 3 měsíci

    I don't care at all for ships, but I have never been so engaged in a video on CZcams. This was excellent and gave me a new appreciation for shipping. Thank you!

  • @francogassiraro4564
    @francogassiraro4564 Před 4 měsíci

    Really informative and easy going. Good stuff!

  • @_Abjuranax_
    @_Abjuranax_ Před 4 měsíci +1

    Since insurance rates for shipping were based on the quality of their hull, and copper clad hulls were rated the highest, a "copper bottom deal" was considered one of the best and safest business deals you could make.

  • @kgsonly
    @kgsonly Před 4 měsíci

    this was in my suggested, I never wondered why ships are painted red but you did a fascinating job in explaining
    and hey don't worry about ranting about other stuff like ships being copper plated
    keep up the good work

  • @davef.2329
    @davef.2329 Před 5 měsíci

    Well done, as always Mike. Thanks.

  • @jefferyseay5846
    @jefferyseay5846 Před 5 měsíci

    I’ve recently discovered your channel. All your videos are so interesting because you’re so knowledgeable! Bravo! I wish you would do a video on some aspect of the Pacific Princess (originally the Sea Venture), a.k.a. The Love Boat. Because it is a modern ship, I can understand if it’s outside of your purview. However, it’s likely in the Top 5 of most famous cruise ships ever, so perhaps worthy of your attention?

  • @duanebarbic3786
    @duanebarbic3786 Před 5 měsíci

    Ever since I've subscribed to your channel I'm becoming a scholar on Ocean liners past and present.

  • @Archer179
    @Archer179 Před 5 měsíci

    I've always wondered that! Thank you Mike! Happy new year and all the best!

  • @PopsiccDesigns
    @PopsiccDesigns Před 5 měsíci

    What a fascinating video, really enjoyed this!

  • @boyracingdriver
    @boyracingdriver Před měsícem

    That was fun to know and well presented. Loved the Melbourne weather joke.

  • @janeldavis905
    @janeldavis905 Před 4 měsíci

    Great video! Thanks or sharing your passion with us.

  • @twinkholland8392
    @twinkholland8392 Před 5 měsíci

    I always enjoy your videos! Thank you!

  • @nim205
    @nim205 Před 4 měsíci

    Great video! Very interesting. Thank you

  • @poissonCHA1
    @poissonCHA1 Před 4 měsíci

    how am i JUST finding your channel, oh, I'm in love, i've been missing out! sub

  • @HamiltonJamesCars
    @HamiltonJamesCars Před 4 měsíci

    I truly enjoyed this, SUBSCRIBED

  • @esp27541
    @esp27541 Před 5 měsíci +1

    Nice! interesting video, thanks. An old fisherman once told when I was a kid and I asked why the hulls were red, that they were painted red so the whales don´t confuse the hull of a boat with another whale.
    Also nowadays commercial vessels use a special silicone paint, that is only applied every 5 years if in good condition. This silicone paint main 2 properties are that any marine growth finds it harder to stick to the hull, and reduces the drag coefficient considerably reducing fuel consumption and increasing speed as a thin layer of water sticks to the hull and moves with the ship, so instead of paint/water friction when the vessel is sailing, it´s water/water friction, which is lesser. Not sure if I have explained myself correctly (lol)